Stone, Sylvester A. 1827 - 1879

STONE

Posted By: Joy Moore (email)
Date: 1/6/2014 at 12:59:43

Iowa Plain Dealer December 19, 1879, P3 C5

Obituary.

Sylvester A. Stone, one of the early settlers of this county and a man who has been honored with several places of honor and trust in the county since its organization, died on Monday morning at his residence in this place. He had been complaining of being unwell for some time past, but until a few weeks since was considered in no immediate danger. It was then ascertained on examination that he was afflicted with a cancerous tumor of the stomach, and that it had made such progress that death might ensue at any time.

A large concourse of people turned out to pay their respects to his memory in performing the last sad office of burial. His funeral was under the management of the I.O.O.F. and of the A. O. U. W., of which organizations he was an honored and respected member. His age was about fifty-two years, we think. Having been necessarily from home, we have not obtained as full particulars of the sorrowful calamity to his family and friends as we had desired. Peace to his memory; comfort to their sorrows. Dr. Merriam furnishes the following facts since the above was in type.

The deceased had been, during the summer and fall, complaining of an inability to eat because of the pain and distress upon taking food into his stomach. On the eve of Nov. 19th he was suddenly taken with quite severe pains in the abdomen and about the stomach. Dr. Merriam being called, after a careful examination, decided that the source and cause of the trouble was of an incurable nature, and advised the deceased to put his business affairs in such a shape that no misunderstandings would arise should he be suddenly called away—an event liable to happen at any time, and certain to occur ere many months—telling the family, however, that the tumor discovered was of a cancerous nature, and, as in his opinion certainly fatal, they were at liberty to call any other physician they saw fit as counsel. This they declined doing.

The deceased recovered enough to be dressed and about the house, and was thought, by several, to be getting better; but Dr. Merriam told them they were mistaken, as the improvement could be but temporary, though the patient might live several months. During the evening and night of Dec. 11th, he had hemorrhage of the bowels twice (an event previously announced as liable to occur), and so extensive as to greatly prostrate him. On Saturday, the 13th, he declared himself to be, as he thought, bleeding internally, from which he rapidly declined and died at 4:00 a.m., Monday, Dec. 15, 1879.

The post mortem made by Dr. Merriam, in the presence of Dr. J. J. Clemmer, Dr. O. N. Hoyt, Charles Trumbull, C. F. Webster, Harlow Webster, B. F. Stone, Will. Wildman and Hart S. Loomis, revealed a soft cancer of the stomach, omentum pancreas and contiguous structures which, from the appearance, had been of several months growth, and having reached that period when ulceration ensues, had perforated the intestine and given rise to the pains, hemorrhage, and death. A large quantity of blood was also found in the abdominal cavity, thus proving to a certainty the diagnosis made by Dr. Merriam to have been correct.